Taiwan

Explore some of Taiwan's most stunning scenery on this full-day tour to Taroko National Park departing from Taipei. Ramble through the trails in the gorge and enjoy the stunning view of the soaring marble cliffs. Meet your guide in the early morning, and enjoy a cozy ride to Hualien. Take a break at TCC DAKA Park, an ecological recycling factory and photo hotspot. Walk along Shakadang Trail, with the crystal clear blue water of Liwu River running beside you. Head through the tunnels of Swallow Grotto and marvel at the view of the cliffs reaching up to the sky. Stop by Cihmu Bridge (Motherly Devotion Bridge), an H-shape hanging bridge built of marble and named by Late President Chiang Jing-guo. Take a short break at a recreational area and have lunch at one of the restaurants in the park. Head to Tunnel of Nine Turns, considered the most scenic section of Taroko Gorge. See the meander running through the deep and spectacular canyons from high above. Get a closer look at the faults and folds of the sheer marble cliffs, as well as the vegetation on the walls. Visit Eternal Spring Shrine, which commemorates the 225 military veterans who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway. End with a visual feast of the amazing Qingshui Cliff, one of the island's "Eight Wonders". Enjoy a sweeping view of a 21 kilometer stretch from the viewing platform before traveling back to Taipei Main Station.

Explore the best of Taiwan on a 5-day tour of its natural splendors. The luxury trip includes accommodation in the best 5-star hotels, and visits to the hot springs at Sun Moon Lake, a walk with Buddhist monks at Fo Guang Shan Monastery, a drive along the spectacular East Coast National Scenic Area, and much more. Learn more about this fascinating island, as you cross from its capital Taipei in the north, to the southern tip at Kenting National Park, and down the east coast past Hualien, back to Taipei. Day 1: Taipei / Sun Moon Lake + Natural Hot Spring Following a hotel pick-up in Taipei City, drive to Sun Moon Lake, located in the lofty mountains of Central Taiwan, 2,500 feet (762 meters) above sea level. The tour will stop at the famous Wenwu Temple (Literature Warrior Temple), dedicated to Confucius as Master of Pen and to Kuan Ti as Master of Sword. See the Holy Monk Shrine, and Tse-En Pagoda. After your sightseeing tour, proceed to your hotel for check in, and stay overnight at the Fleur De Chine at Sun Moon Lake–Mountain View, or similar hotel. Enjoy the natural hot springs at the Fleur de Chine Hotel. Day 2: Sun Moon Lake/Fo Guang Shan Monastery/Kaohisung Breakfast at your hotel, and then drive to Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Monastery, the most famous Buddhist sacred site in southern Taiwan. Learn about Buddhism during the monastery walking tour, and taste Buddhist vegetarian lunch (at your own cost). Communicate with some of the monks and nuns during a visit to the Main Shrine, and Great Buddha Land, site of a huge Buddha statue. Continue to Kaohsiung City, the second largest city in Taiwan, and visit the former British Consulate, Love River, and Lio Ho Night Market. Stay overnight at Kaohsiung in the Grand Hi-Lai Hotel, or similar accommodation. Day 3: Kaohsung/Kenting/Taitung (Hot Spring) Take a morning tour to Kenting National Park, located at Taiwan’s southern tip. Travel past 37 miles of coral-rimmed shoreline, along 3 sides of the park, to see its main attractions. Stop at Oluanpi Lighthouse, Maopitou Coastal Scenic Area, and Kenting Forest Recreation Area. Continue to Taitung, via the Southern Link Highway. Your overnight stay will be at the Royal Hotel Chihpen in Taitung, or similar accommodation. Day 4: Taitung/East Coast National Scenic Area/Hualien After breakfast, enjoy an exciting East Coast National Scenic Tour. The East Coast National Scenic Area, known as "Taiwan's last unspoiled land", stretches for approximately 100 miles (170 kilometers) down the east coast of the island. Weathering, erosion, and accumulation have produced a wide range of landforms. Your tour will stop at Siaoyeliou, Sansientai, Stone Steps, and the Caves of the 8 Immortals. Late afternoon, proceed to Hualien for an overnight stay at the Silks Place Taroko, or similar accommodation. Day 5: Hualien/Taroko Gorge/Taipei Today you will spend a full day at Taroko National Park. Go to Taroko Gorge, an exceptionally beautiful, narrow ravine created by the Liwu River, which has cut deep into the mountains of solid marble. Travel along a road that has been carved into sheer walls of rock, winding its way past forested peaks and cliffs, towering thousands of feet above it. Hundreds of feet below, the river roars past gigantic marble boulders. Stop at Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow Grotto, Marble Bridge, Tienshiang, and a marble factory. Drive back to Taipei, via the Su-Hwa Highway, and the 8-mile-long Hsuei-Shan Long Tunnel to arrive in the city at around 19:00.

Explore Taipei and the surrounding area on an 8-hour private car charter. Discover iconic sights and beauty spots in northern Taiwan without the hassle of public transportation. Choose from a number of itineraries or create your own. Check out the natural beauty of Yangmingshan and Jiufen. See the amazing coastal rock formations at Yehliu, or perhaps enjoy a drive to Pingxi.

Meet your tour guide and driver in the morning at MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station and take a 40-minute journey to the Yangmingshan National Park. Along the way, stop by the Taipei Public Library at Beitou. Located in Beitou Park and near Beitou Hot Spring Museum, it is Taiwan's first "green library", and is one of the most beautiful public libraries in the world. It minimizes pollution and harm to the environment by using recycled materials and by being water and energy-efficient. Visit the Beitou Hot Spring Museum which was built during the Japanese colonial era. The Tudor-style building has a brick and wood facade and black tile roofing. The 1st level consists of a small bath and a large bath with a piece of Hokutolite Stone weighing 800 kilograms displayed at a corner. This is the perfect location to learn more about Beitou's rich hot spring culture and history. The next stop is Yangmingshan Flower Clock, the centerpiece of the Yangmingshan National Park. See the flowering plants which change by the seasons, where visitors can enjoy the bloom all year round. Visit Yangming Shu-Wu Mansion, also known as Zhongxing Guesthouse, which was the summer residence of the late president, Chiang Kai-shek. Today the mansion is an important site for Taiwanese culture and history. Afterward, you will visit the most popular spot in the national park, Xiaoyoukeng, which literally means "little oil pit". This is a post-volcanic geological area, where you can see and smell the steam rising from the ground, and feel the heat of a dormant volcano. See Qingtiangang, a lava terrace formed when the lava flowed north after the eruption.  The last stop is Lengshuikeng, which means “cold water pit”. This is a barrier lake formed by the volcanic lava flowing down from the mountain. The hot spring water here is colder than the other areas hence its name. Before the tour comes to the end, enjoy a hot spring foot bath that gives relief to aching feet and helps release tension in the muscles. After the tour, you may choose to disembark at MRT Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station or Shihlin Night Market and enjoy the local street foods.

Meet your host and board the express train bound for Hualien on your own. Sit back and enjoy a 3-hour journey to paradise. Upon arrival in Hualien, your tour guide will greet you at the train station and take to you to the world-famous Taroko National Park. From the archway entry to Tianxiang, this 12.5-mile (20 km) section of Central Cross-Island Highway through the steep marble cliffs and tunnels of the gorge will take your breath away. Walk along the Shakadang Trail, where the crystal clear blue water of Liwu River runs beside you. Walk through the Swallow Grotto tunnel, where you will enjoy a stunning view of the cliffs. Take a short break at Tianxiang, a large river terrace recreational area and enjoy lunch in a restaurant in the park. After lunch, stop by Cihmu Bridge (Motherly Devotion Bridge), a suspension bridge made of marble and named by Late President Chiang Jing-guo after a heart-warming story about a loving mother. Next, head to the Tunnel of Nine Turns, considered to be the most scenic section of Taroko Gorge. Visit the Eternal Spring Shrine, which commemorates the 225 military veterans who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway. Go to a local marble factory, where you can buy some souvenirs and take a walk to the romantic Qixingtan, a pebble beach where the mountains meet the sea. Your 14-hour adventure then ends with drop-off at Taipei Main Station.

Explore Taipei City's volcanic backyard on a private tour to Yangmingshan National Park. Delight in breathtaking natural scenery, and enjoy panoramic views back over the city. Begin your tour with a private pickup at your hotel in Taipei City. Then, head with your guide to your first photo spot, the Flower Clock made from vibrant blooms. Walk through a flowery pathway up to the mountain, and be amazed the natural miracle of the Zhuzihu Calla Lilies, originally a lava-dammed lake created by the surrounding volcanoes. Next, visit fumaroles in the local favorite Xiaoyoukeng Recreation area, approximately 805 meters (2641 feet) above sea level. Discover so-called landslide terrain formed by post-volcanic activity in an area also famous for sulfur crystals and hot springs. Admire the panoramic views of the environment nearby, and take a signature photo of northern Taiwan at the Datun Nature Park. Continue your journey with an approximately 25-minute hike to Qingtiangang, a scenic spot carpeted with soft meadows where cattle graze. Take a stroll and relax, or enhance your experience with an optional private hot spring nearby to relax your body after the hike. The tour concludes back at your accommodation in Taipei City.

Benefit with pick-up from your preferred meeting point in Taipei and journey through the city aboard a comfortable and clean car. It is also very suitable for travelers on a short layover with only a few hours to spare with the option of drop off at the airport or cruise terminal at Keelung Harbor if needed. Suggested sights include the Martyr's Shrine, Lin An Tai Historical House and Taipei 101, the 101-floor landmark skyscraper that claimed the title of the world's tallest building when it opened in 2004. Here you can have a photo and view this building with tips and hints from your local tour guide. Visit Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the Dalongdong Baoan Temple, originally built by clan members in Tong'an, Xiamen, who immigrated to Taipei in the early 19th century.  The tour is flexible and can be customized, create your own itinerary of the city and see the attractions that interest you most, once your reservation has been received, your itinerary will be built with you, according to your preference.

Taiwan is without a doubt filled with an endless collection of seascapes, landscapes, and beautiful landmarks that will stun even the most articulate poet. This tour is designed for those who wish to visit the most iconic and picturesque sites throughout Northern Taiwan. On top of snapping some Instagram-worthy pictures, learn about the Taiwanese culture and history behind those sites, whilst immersing yourself in the beauty of nature. Make your first stop at the Queen's Head at Yehliu Geopark. Gaze in awe at the magical views of stone formations inside the park. Your guide will not only snap cool shots for you, but will also explain the formation of the unique stones as well as the Taiwanese people and their culture. Then, visit Chifen, which is well known for its beauty and history as a former goldmine town in Northern Taiwan. Taste delicious Taiwanese snack along the alley, or choose the option to enjoy tea at the A-Mei Tea House, which inspired Oscar awarded animator Hayao Miyazaki for the beautiful house in Spirited Away.  After this, continue your scenic tour to Pingxi, Taiwan's most romantic place. Stroll along Shifen Old Street, one of the most popular movie shooting spots, where you can see a collection of local shops along old train tracks and winding lanes. Towards the end of your tour, make wishes by releasing by a sky lantern into the air and hope that your dreams will come true.

Book this tour and the CityUnscripted team will contact you within 24 hours and ask you questions about your preferences and interests, so they can match you with a like-minded Local Taiwanese. You'll be paired with guides that are passionate about the place they call home and who choose to spend their free time sharing it with like-minded travelers matched to them. Keeping in mind your personal answers they will put together a itinerary, just for you. Please note that this will be outlined but flexible. They will arrange a meeting with your guide in the most convenient place for you. If during the tour you feel like changing direction, or your guide believes that you'd enjoy a sight or different experience, he/she will suggest and discuss changes to the itinerary with you. Enjoy discovering amazing spots in Taipei that you don't know about and are difficult to find in any guidebook or on the Internet, because they are lesser known to the crowd but beloved by Locals! The day revolves around your wishes so enjoy your private meet-up and itinerary and let your Local show you the Taipei you will love.

Explore the city with a friendly local who is passionate about his/her city and eager to share all the tips and tricks that will help you make the most of your trip. Meet where you're staying to get familiar with the neighbourhood, find out about the best places to eat and buy groceries, the easiest ways to get around, and the hidden gems you might have missed. By the end of the tour, you'll feel more comfortable in navigating the city and confident that you have all the information you need to make the most of your stay. Once we receive your booking, the supplier get in touch with you to confirm all the details for the tour: meeting place and time, language and your contact information, and also ask you some questions to get to know you better. They will hand-pick the right local for you based on your interests. Each tour is completely customized so you can choose the meeting location, start time and length that you prefer (minimum: 2 hours).  During the walking tour you will have the option of taking public transportation or taxi to get around the city (at your expense). The local guides (Lokafyers) are locals who are passionate about their city and love to meet travellers and share what they love about their city.  They are not professional tour guides and do these tours occasionally, which provides an authentic and personal experience that is like having a friend show you around their home city.  Through conversations with your Lokafyer, you’ll learn what it’s like to live in Koahsiung, learn about cultural differences, local events and politics and also get to know each other on a personal level. With this experience, you won’t be just passing through the city, you’ll be part of it.